33: KINGdom Come (Luke 9:21-36)

As most of you know, I served as a Student Pastor for 17 years. During that time I was often asked, “What do you do all day?” When teenagers asked that I usually replied like this, “I pray for sinners…and if YOU would stop sinning…I might actually be able to get something else done this week!”

When my position changed I knew it brought more responsibility. And I’m super grateful for your kindness & patience to me & my family as I still have much to learn & apply. Sadly, many pastors don’t experience the love, prayer support, & desire to serve that you have extended to me the past 4 years. THANK YOU!

When my position changed from Student Pastor to Lead Pastor I had lots of questions about what would happen. I STILL have questions. How would it affect our church? How would affect me and Tonya? How would it affect my boys?

A couple of years ago, I could tell something was wrong with Caleb. When I finally got him to open up, he shared that he felt unfair expectations were put on him by others. He felt like his actions were more scrutinized than that of his peers, all because his father is a pastor. While some of those concerns might have been legitimate, it was my job to help my son see that the standard was much higher than he had imagined.

As much as I want my boys to honor us - their parents - by their obedience, it’s so much bigger than that!

We tell our boys that If I had what most would consider the most insignificant jobs on the planet, we would STILL expect our boys to honor Jesus with their decisions. That expectation doesn’t change because my job changes…because the Big Question isn’t ‘does it please the parents or please others?’ The BIG QUESTION is…

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

PRAY

You’ll remember that a couple of weeks ago we discovered that the apostles of Jesus were able to answer the question, “Who IS This?” - as they proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus affirmed this declaration which is why His next command might surprise you.

Luke 9:21–22 (NIV)

21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Luke doesn’t tell us what happens next, but at some point Peter speaks up and says 'NO!' (Mark 8:31-33) and he pulls Jesus to the side to tutor Him on the Messiah’s role - to RULE not to die. To this Jesus tells Peter, “Get behind me Satan.” WHY? Because Peter’s language echoes Satan as he prodded Jesus to take the CROWN without the CROSS in the wilderness temptation.

It’s obvious that the apostles expected a Militant Messiah not a Suffering Servant.

They had been raised to expect a Roaring Lion not a Sacrificial Lamb.

This is why Jesus didn't use the terms 'Son of God' or 'Messiah' when referring to Himself and PRECISELY why Jesus commanded His apostles to tell no one of His identity. If His own apostles struggled to understand the Messiah’s role as Suffering Servant - the others would too.

Oscar Cullmann in his classic book, Christ and Time, uses his classic example of the World War II distinction between "D-Day" and "V-Day." When the allies established the Normandy beachhead on "D-Day," the war in Europe was really won. Yet, "V-Day" remained in the future and the battle went on.

The crucifixion of Jesus was "D-Day," and the beachhead of God's kingdom was secured. The war has been won, but more battles await. When Jesus returns it will be "V-Day." As Don Williams writes, “The Christian life is then lived in this tension between the kingdom come and coming.”

Once Jesus makes payment for sin, the war would be won…but battles await. So Jesus clarifies the commitment He is calling them to.

Luke 9:23 (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Somehow many have come to believe that there is a difference between being ‘saved’ and being a disciple of Jesus. I have one question for you…WHERE did you get this from…because it certainly didn’t come from Jesus or His disciples.

To deny yourself is to put HIS will above yours. When my desires collide with His desires…my desires yield.

To take up a cross daily was not a metaphor for enduring piddly problems. The cross was a picture of DEATH. Leon Morris says the person who carries a cross is “on a one-way journey. He’d not be back.” The disciple of Jesus dies to himself daily.

The disciple of Jesus has chosen to follow Him…even when suffering for His message.

There is no biblical distinction between the saved and the disciple. Many people would disagree. Listen as Francis Chan talks about this. We’ve shown this a few years ago, but it’s time to see it again.

Francis Chan ‘The Middle Road’

And those who choose to follow Jesus have found this to be true:

Luke 9:24 (NIV)

24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Think about the significance of what Jesus says: the ultimate fate of all humanity revolves around a person’s relationship to Jesus. Can you imagine me saying to you…”whoever loses their life for ME will save it.” This is an incredible statement & claim.

As we die to ourselves, we find LIFE in Jesus. When we do earthly life without Jesus, we will experience eternal life without Jesus too.

Then Jesus asks a probing question, a question I pray will echo through our minds this week.

Luke 9:25 (NIV)

25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? [Matthew & Mark use ‘soul’; this is the non-physical YOU ]

People have heard this so often they become numb to the question. So let’s put it in perspective…

What if someone were to offer you $10,000 for your eyes…$100,000…$1 million? You would be foolish to do that. If you can’t attach a price tag to your sight…how much more is your SOUL worth…and WHY would you trade ANYTHING for that!

What good is having piles of prosperity when you breathe your last breath? When you die…you don’t take it with you. You heard it said, hearses don’t pull u-hauls. So why are we trading the earthly for the eternal?

Then Jesus gives the crowd & us a glimpse of the future. When His KINGdom Comes in fullness, here is what can be expected…

Luke 9:26 (NIV)

26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Can you imagine THAT moment?

The moment that people realize all they have lived for is EMPTY and has NO VALUE in His kingdom. When they realize, “I have traded ETERNAL for the EARTHLY.”

Some who expected Jesus to overlook their life of disobedience, will be terrified when He looks at them with SHAME and pronounces them guilty of their sin.

What if it were to happen TODAY?; if the KINGdom Comes today and the KING comes in His glory! Here’s the ONE BIG QUESTION you need to answer:

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

This has less to do with your PAST than your PRESENT. It’s not about whether you HAVE been ashamed of Jesus or claiming to be ‘saved’ but refusing to follow Him as a disciple. Are you PRESENTLY ashamed of Jesus…are you PRESENTLY following Jesus as an obedient disciple?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

While that event is still future for us… a few of those Jesus was speaking to were about to get a glimpse of KINGdom Come.

Luke 9:27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

What does THAT mean? There are several interpretations, but the context is the key rightly interpreting Scripture, so let’s continue as we get a glimpse of the KINGdom Come.

Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

Jesus often went early in the morning to pray by Himself. This time he takes these 3 with Him. Evidently they are sleepy and are sitting down at a distance…much like later when Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Luke 9:29-30 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.

Important to note: Moses died and was buried by God around 1300 years before and Elijah had been caught up to heaven without tasting death about 850 years before Jesus jumped into skin. These 2 men, Moses & Elijah, represent the Law & the Prophets throughout the Bible. For hundreds of years, the Law & Prophets had pointed to God’s answer to mankind’s sin, but it would take 1 who could make full payment for our sin.

Jesus made this claim in Matthew 5:17 (NIV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Luke 9:31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

The word departure is from the Greek exodon or exodus. It can refer to leaving one place for another. It can also be used of death. Of course those familiar with biblical terms remember the attachment between Moses & the Exodus.

NT Wright notes that as Moses led the Israelites out of slavery and to the promised land, “in the new Exodus, Jesus will lead all God’s people out of the slavery of sin and death, and home to their promised inheritance—the new creation in which the whole world will be redeemed.”

This exodus or departure was God’s sovereign plan. In fact, the ancient Scripture pointed to it long before it occurred. After Jesus resurrects He explains this to His disciples:

Luke 24:27 (NIV) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Meanwhile, the 3 Jesus brought with Him had been napping…

Luke 9:32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

They open their eyes to see Jesus glorified…Matthew 17:2 says Jesus’ face was shining “like the sun” and his clothes were bright as a flash of lightning.

Although the apostles had heard about Moses approaching God’s clouded presence on Mt. Sinai, and returning with his face shining brightly, they had never SEEN anything like this! They were speechless…except for Peter.

Peter just felt the need to say SOMETHING…and he did what we often do - shoot off his mouth before he loaded his brain. Peter didn’t know exactly WHAT was going on.

Luke 9:33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

Peter recommends constructing huts like those used during the Jewish festival of tabernacles. There are 2 problems with Peter’s thinking.

Peter wants to stay on the mountain and bask in the moment, but there was still a great task to be accomplished…If they stayed on the mountain, then Jesus’ exodus would not lead others out of spiritual slavery. Don’t we have this tendency too?…we have a mountain-top experience where God reveals His power…and want to stay there instead of come back to do the hard work of ministry. This is NOT heaven…one day our task will be finished, but not yet.

Peter seems to view Moses, Elijah, & Jesus as EQUALS. But this misses the mark. Compared to Moses & Elijah, Jesus is not only greater, but completely OTHER.

Moses & Elijah sacrificed animals year after year to atone for sin. Jesus was about to sacrifice Himself to atone for all sin for all of time.

Moses & Elijah ushered in the Old Covenant. Jesus ushered in the New Covenant.

Moses & Elijah were the servants of God. Jesus was the God who served.

They were NOT equals. The Voice from heaven explains Peter’s error.

Luke 9:34

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

As Moses entered the cloud on Mt. Sinai and was enveloped by God’s Presence, now the apostles did as well. 3 fishermen from Galilee were seeing the KINGdom Come…and they were afraid as they heard…

Luke 9:35-36

35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Matthew tells us that when the disciples heard the voice of God they fell on the ground, terrified (Matt. 17:6).

And what the Voice declared was that Jesus was not just another prophet, He was God’s Son. And from here on, the disciples are to listen to him. By the way, that’s a great life motto - I will listen to Jesus and do what He says.

Matthew 17:7 tells us that after hearing the voice & falling down in fear, Jesus touched them and told them, to stand and not be afraid. And they finally look up to find that Jesus was alone.

The prophets, clouds, and Voice are gone. Jesus is no longer shining like the sun and the men eventually descend down the mountain and back to daily ministry. I wonder what conversations went on while coming DOWN the mountain! Matthew tells us that Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about this event until AFTER His resurrection (Matt. 17:9)…and - just as the Father’s Voice commanded - they LISTENED TO JESUS.

This is what DISCIPLES do…they Listen & Obey what their Master says. They will not be ashamed. They anticipate the King's return and with this question on the front burner of their minds:

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

BIG QUESTION: When the KINGdom Comes, will He be pleased with me?

- Turn from your sin and TRUST Jesus. Like the apostles were told - “Listen to Him” LEARN and LIVE His words.

- TELL Others. Never be ashamed again.

STAND n PRAY "God, what do you want me to do with what I just heard?"